|
Litter Training Your Cat Is Easy
While most cats take easily to using a litter box, they're not born
knowing how. This means you'll need to show your cat how to use the box
in order to prevent accidents. Fortunately, it's not hard to do so.
Litter training your cat will not happen in one afternoon, but Cat training in 10 minutes
is possible. Cats naturally want to go to the bathroom in a private
area and to cover their waste. A litter box is an excellent way to
provide this environment. The cat training will not be over in 10
minutes but if you're interested in litter training your cat, here's
how.
Many kittens will arrive knowing how to use the litter box, because
they've been taught to do it by their mothers. However, that doesn't
mean that a cat you adopt will have been taught. Some kittens are taken
away from their mothers before they learn to properly use a litter box.
Other cats grow up outdoors, and aren't used to needing to eliminate
inside. Whatever your cat's reason for not knowing this skill, it will
be easy to learn. Just watch for behavior that means he or she needs to
go. If you see your cat begin to squat, or sniffing around in corners,
quickly place him or her in the litter box. You can take a paw and
scratch it in the litter for your cat. That says that this is where
elimination should happen.
If an accident happens while you're litter training your cat (and this
is common) clean it up in a paper towel, and put it in the litter box.
Then deodorize the area where the accident happened, thoroughly. Place
your cat in the box, and repeat the gentle scratching motion. Never
punish your cat for going in the wrong location. This won't teach your
cat to use the box. It will teach him or her to hide from you, though.
As litter training your cat is not going to happen in 10 minutes but it
will happen faster than you think.
Once you start seeing the desired behavior, don't take it for granted
that litter training your cat has been successful. Like human habits,
cat habits take a while to become ingrained. Praise or reward your cat
each time you see him or her use the litter box. That makes a positive
association with good litter box behavior, and reinforces it, making
accidents less likely. Remember that young cats will often pick up
litter box training quickly, while older ones may take a little longer.
If your cat has been using the litter box correctly for a while, but
suddenly begins to have problems, it doesn't mean that litter training
your cat has failed. There's probably something wrong. Look for major
changes in the cat's environment, like a move, a new animal in the
house, or even a new piece of furniture. This could be the cause of
stress that's creating the accidents. If you can't find a good reason
for your cat to be making mistakes, take your pet to the vet
immediately. Sometimes, litter box problems indicate a much bigger
issue that you don't know about. Your vet can tell you if there's
something wrong, and help you decide on the best treatment.
Tags: Cat Training and Behavior Litter Box Training Litter Training Your Cat Is Easy training your cat |
